Report: More Young Workers Becoming Facility-Management Pros

The facility-management professional of today, on average, is college-educated, manages more than 1 million sq ft of space and multiple employees, has experienced an increase in job responsibilities over the last two years, and is enjoying a base-salary increase of 8 percent from 2007 levels, the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA’s) “Profiles 2011: Salary and Demographics Report” reveals.

Based on a survey of 4,353 facility professionals from 45 countries, the report finds the average facility professional receives $99,578 (U.S.) in total compensation annually—up from $91,766 in 2007. Practitioners with three or fewer years of facility-management experience earn $65,000 a year, up from $56,000 in 2004.

The average facility manager is 49 years of age. Nine percent of the respondents reported being 34 years of age or younger, up from 7 percent in 2007. Of that group, the majority are women. Twelve percent of female respondents reported being 34 years of age or younger, compared with 8 percent of male respondents. Similarly, 23 percent of the women surveyed reported being 35 to 44 years of age, compared with 21 percent of the men surveyed.

Survey respondents with a master’s degree reported earning an average base pay of $101,629, up from $96,750 in 2007 and $87,000 in 2004. Those with a bachelor’s degree reported base pay of $87,000, an increase from $82,000 in 2007 and $75,000 in 2004. In total, facility professionals in eight industry sectors, including chemical/pharmaceutical, electronics, and the federal government, make an average of $100,000 or more per year.

Respondents with the Certified Facility Manager (CFM) designation reported earning $12,524 more per year than respondents lacking the designation. Those with the CFM designation receive, on average, $101,540 a year in compensation.

Survey respondents with six to 10 years of full-time work experience and the CFM designation reported making $15,536 more per year than the average respondent with similar experience but no designation, while those with six to 10 years of full-time work experience and the FMP designation reported making $8,727 more.

CFM designees generally hold higher-level management positions than the average facility professional. They are more likely to manage individuals who manage others, manage two or more levels of supervisors, or serve as a senior executive.

“These results show ... that facility management is a competitive, compelling profession with the potential to attract top-tier talent,” IFMA President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Keane, CAE, said. “... Facility management provides strategic value and contributes to organizational success, and facility professionals are increasingly getting greater recognition and compensation for these contributions.”

Each year a facility manager spends in the field adds $698 to his or her overall compensation. Similarly, each year an individual spends with his or her employer adds $612 to his or her annual salary.

Those living in the Northeast United States reported earning an average of $8,837 more than their counterparts, while those in the Pacific United States reported earning an average of $8,255 more. Canadian facility professionals reported earning $7,076 (U.S.) more than the average facility manager.

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